NEWS:

UBA TURNS OUR ATTENTION TO THE VACANT LOT AT “THE RIDGE”

May 2021: Since original plans for commercial development of The Ridge Phase II (Pleasant Valley and Broadway adjacent to the Safeway) fell through due to changing retail and economic environments, the long neglected site has become an eyesore. UBA contacted leaseholder TRC Retail for an update on plans for development; TRC proposed three ideas and requested feedback from the community: 1.) auto dealership, 2.) big box store, and 3.) drive-thru restaurants. UBA felt none of these would meet neighborhood needs or approval, and conducted an opinion survey among our email contacts. Find survey results and more about The Ridge here.

What is happening on upper Broadway in North Oakland?

UPDATEs:

CCA SITE DEVELOPMENT NEWS:

July - August 2021: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
March - August 2021 : 3 TOURS FOR DEVELOPER AND ASSOCIATES:
1. Design Guidelines Tour
2. Neighborhood Architecture Tour
3. Landscaping Tour

good news about housing:

Spring 2021: UBA Welcomes New Residents at CCA’s Former Dorm

UPDATES:

July - August 2021

CCA SITE DEVELOPMENT NEWS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT

Release of the draft Environmental Impact Report is not expected until fall 2021 or later; the developer thinks by the end of the year; City Planning Department is unable to provide a date. As of July 2021 the original project has been somewhat revised. This second iteration of plans calls for two residential structures, eight stories in height, a park, and retention of two historic buildings. As is standard with EIRs, the City has included several alternatives whose environmental impact will be studied. One of the alternatives is a 21-story tower. We will watch this closely, and when the draft EIR is delivered if there is positive evaluation of the tower, or if any other issues call for community response, we will notify our mailing list. Go to 5212broadway.com to see the developer's proposals.

march 2021

UBA CONDUCTS THREE TOURS FOR THE DEVELOPERS AND ASSOCIATES

In March, developers Emerald Fund and Equity Community Builders (Emerald/ECB) gave a slide presentation via zoom to UBA illustrating their thinking so far on the CCA site project. This included select examples of architecture from around the CCA campus and the area, and their second iteration of proposed plan options https://app.box.com/file/790697119191 .

After seeing Emerald’s initial presentation we were somewhat concerned that they focused on the eclectic nature of the architecture at the CCA site and on many atypical area structures which do not respect the Rockridge tradition. It looks to us like the developers might view the CCA site as an extension of the Broadway corridor with its high rises and cold, impersonal aesthetic, whereas we see it as the southern anchor to College Avenue with its small businesses and green, walkable neighborhoods.

After the meeting, we followed with an explanatory letter; here is an excerpt:

“Remember that the vast majority of space in Rockridge is residential and that is where the Rockridge style can be found. It is not wildly eclectic at all, as on College Avenue, but consistently rooted in tradition. The details may vary, even the styles from Craftsman to Mediterranean, etc., but they show a respect for historic values—masses, colors, rhythms, materials, relation to the street, landscaping, trees, etc.”

UBA THEN CONDUCTED THREE TOURS OF THE CCA SITE AND NEIGHBORHOOD
with key members of the development team. Our purpose was to show them the prevailing, largely traditional architecture of the neighborhood as a model for design that respects the context of Rockridge. Trees, gardens, and an openness to the street are evident everywhere. In short, the structures are welcoming and human-scale

MAY 2021

1. DESIGN GUIDELINES TOUR

UBA gave a tour for SiteLab, engaged by Emerald/ECB to develop Design Guidelines for the site, as requested by the City's Design Review Subcommittee. After the Design Guidelines are received, architects will begin the design process. In addition to the on-site tour UBA provided SiteLab with a comprehensive list of items of historical value we believe should be preserved on the CCA site.

JULY 2021

2. NEIGHBORHOOD ARCHITECTURE TOUR

Developers Emerald/ECB have replaced their former project architect with a new company, Mithun. UBA members conducted a neighborhood tour with a Mithun Partner, the Project Manager, and Project Designer.

We discussed with our guests the challenge of creating human-scale buildings that are tall and dense, as the project proposes, but also reflect the history of the site. We believe they understand that a contemporary Brutalist box with superficial details such as tile decoration and balconies is not acceptable. We also advocated for substantial recognition of the history and cultural value of the site, well beyond just placing a few explanatory plaques. And we continue to advocate for ways to incorporate 20% affordable housing for low and moderate incomes.

You can see the Emerald and SiteLab’s proposal dated 7/7/21 at https://app.box.com/s/rt0rk0u2e8of1awm4syjzhf6qi790jli We encourage you to send your comments to SiteLab's Director, Laura Crescimano, at lcrescimano@sitelaburbanstudio.com and please be sure to CC ubaoakland@gmail.com.

august 2021

3. LANDSCAPING TOUR

Lastly, UBA conducted a tour of the CCA site for members of CMG Landscape Architects, the firm Emerald/ECB has engaged for the project. We emphasized the importance of trees, greenery, and open space in our area, so starved for parks. As we had become increasingly alarmed by the disappearing trees and shrubbery on the CCA site, we wanted to ensure that CMG knew how important the trees - and their proper maintenance (including watering during this extreme drought) - are to the neighborhood. However, as the property legally belongs to CCA, this duty would fall to them, not to the developer and associates. If you are interested in the trees on the site, see the arborists report and the map of trees on the CCA site. (Note: this does not include indication of trees recently removed.) UBA is watching the condition of the trees closely.

Spring 2021

FINALLY SOME GOOD NEWS ABOUT HOUSING:
UBA Welcomes New Residents at CCA’s Former Dorm

Clifton Hall at the corner of Clifton and Broadway is receiving new residents in its transitional family facility. By late January 59 residents, of whom 31 are children, had moved in.*

One floor of CCA’s former dormitory has been set aside for 20 families while they seek permanent homes. This facility differs from many others in that men in the family are allowed, not just women and kids. Residents can remain all day while some other shelters require that everyone leave in the morning. Support services for residents are part of the project, as well as follow-up after a family moves to permanent housing. “The best thing about Clifton,” one of the mothers reported, “is that I can bring my family back together again…Clifton Hall does everything in its power to keep a family together.”

WELCOMING NEW NEIGHBORS
Upper Broadway Advocates raised funds from our community and local merchants to provide Clifton Hall’s families and senior residents with welcome bags full of merchant gift cards and other small items. Thank you for your generosity, neighbors and local businesses!

*according to Patricia Springer, Lead Case Manager of Family Matters Shelter, the newest project of the East Oakland Community Project.

Who are Upper Broadway Advocates?

Upper Broadway Advocates was formed by independent, unaffiliated Rockridge neighbors* who live and/or work near the CCA site to respond to the proposed development plan. We want to work with the City, CCA, developers, fair housing advocates, and other stakeholders to ensure that the community has input into what happens at this large, critical site — as in the rest of our City of Oakland.

Our Mission is to:

• Promote neighborhood evolution that is a model of beauty, sustainability, affordability and density

• Aspire to reflect the diversity of Oakland and the character of Rockridge

• Pursue a substantial increase in affordable housing

• Focus initially on redevelopment of CCA Campus and surroundings

• Continue the artistic heritage of the CCA site and trees

What are the issues?

Below are the main issues as identified by UBA and by the community poll we took in the summer of 2019. In sum, neighbors are concerned that Rockridge is becoming too gentrified, and we will lose even more diversity if only luxury units are built. Furthermore, Rockridge and the surrounding communities are some of Oakland’s most charming and livable areas; architectural styles and development size must be harmonious and contiguous with existing buildings while also bringing the appropriate infill and density and must be built to modern sustainable and green requirements.

Go to the Issues & Concerns page or click on each subject below.

1. affordability
2. design & aesthetics, scale & Density
3. sustainability
4. traffic, Parking, & safety
5. historic preservation and arts legacy
6. zoning & city planning

WHAT UBA WANTS TO SEE AT THE CCA SITE:

• Substantially more affordable housing in the new construction.

• Building heights in line with the five to six story buildings recently constructed on Broadway north of W. MacArthur. No building higher than 75 feet (six to seven stories.)

• Reduced parking; ample space for rental cars, car shares, bikes, taxis, Uber, Lyft and other alternate forms of transport, free or reduced bus passes, a jitney to BART, increased enforcement of adjacent neighborhood residential permit parking.

• Residential permit parking in the surrounding community (if they want it) to dissuade residents of the development from parking in the adjacent neighborhood.

• A concrete plan to creatively preserve and re-use more of the existing historic buildings and surrounding landscape and to retain more trees.

• A commitment from the city to complete a traffic study of the area to increase pedestrian safety and improve the flow of traffic.

• Coordinated planning to include the adjacent Ridge development.

What we’ve been doing

With community input and support we have expressed to the Oakland Planning Commission and Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board the deep concerns many of us have about the proposed tower and impact of such a large development. These concerns were developed in an inclusive participatory process in which about 200 community members came to two public meetings to give us their ideas and opinions about the proposed development at the CCA site. We have pursued active engagement with both the City and developers throughout the process to ensure that the community has input on this large and influential project. That continuing engagement is seeing results as draft plans from the developer evolve.

Meanwhile, we continue to reach out and listen to more neighbors as the process moves forward. Learn more about our inclusive process on our Community Input page. Go to our UBA in Action page to learn more about what UBA is doing.

*UBA's Steering Committee of Rockridge residents:
Janis Brewer, Steve Cook, Leslie Correll, Joe Johnston, Nicole Lazzaro, Tom Lollini, Jennifer McElrath, Michael Reardon, Kirk Peterson, Kurt Scherer, Myrna Walton.

CLICK HERE TO join us

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